Now shoppers at Alexis Designs can enjoy coffee, pastries, muffins or lunch while browsing Alexis' collection of unique home accessories and furniture. Alexis Designs in Grandville offers a cozy and relaxed atmosphere for shoppers. Its 3000-square-foot space has been intelligently filled with pieces of furniture, artwork and more, allowing for an intimate but never overwhelming experience. And for those who are looking to contemplate their home decorating decisions, the Design Café is perfect for a hot cup of coffee or a quick bite to eat. Alexis owner Dana Rickers opened the shop this past fall. The store is a significant departure from her previous business, The Clean Source, a disaster recovery and remediation service specialization in cleaning up crime scenes, fire and water damage and other unpleasant situations. Rickers continues to do both part-time as she fosters her new business. Meandering through the store, there's a lot to look at it, including a room that contains over 3000 different fabrics for customers to choose from. Rickers says what you see in the store is only the beginning of choices. She and her staff can customize an entire room for a client based on that client's style and pricing needs, making Alexis Designs a one-stop shop. "We provide a product and a service unique to the Grand Rapids area," she says. "Our goal is to provide customers with a home unique to their personality." She adds, "People want to step out of the box. They want to do something different, but they don't know how." Rickers travels frequently, often to Chicago, to keep on top of new products, constantly researching the latest in interior design. She says Alexis works with at least 100 different vendors, looking for one-of-a-kind quality at a fair price point. Alexis is also designer-friendly and open to working with local artists and designers. Alexis will be one of the exhibitors at the Cottage & Lakefront Living Show, March 25-27 at the Devos Place. To visit the store, head to 4187 Chicago Dr. in Grandville, near the Rainbow Grill. Store hours and more can be found on their website. Source: Dana Rickers, Alexis Designs Writer: J. Bennett Rylah, Managing Editor

"Telecommunications is not difficult to understand, but customers get confused when dealing with different sales reps," explains Tony Wedeven of TelDesigns, a Holland-based company he founded in November 2010.   With technology and telecommunications changing rapidly and companies looking to become more efficient, Wedeven states a primary objective of his consulting service is to help firms free up capital that can either be banked or reinvested in infrastructure. Although every situation is unique, he estimates that savings typically fall in the 30-35% range when consolidating services. After 10 years working in the industry, Wedeven felt that with the confusion brought on by so many choices and information, there was an opportunity to start his own service, representing multiple service providers, that would then allow him to provide "unbiased solutions" for clients that needed to make decisions about their telecommunication services.   Besides the communication overload, Wedeven explains that many firms also recently laid off staff, oftentimes in the  I.T. area  or executives who were responsible for the decisions that led up to a company's current telecom service. Now these responsibilities are being handled by someone not that familiar with the technology and options, creating an opportunity for TelDesigns to fill that void. To learn more about TelDesigns and the services they offer, you can visit their website here. Source: Tony Wedeven, TelDesigns Writer: John Rumery, Innovation and Jobs Editor

Serial entrepreneur and technophile Brian Rider has always been perpetually curious and, by nature, is a "starter." While in college, Rider founded DigitalWingman and recently has been a driving force with Techtivity.org. Rider's latest venture, TownBit.com, takes his talent and curiosity in a new direction as he seeks to create an online community where people can discover locally owned, neighborhood places to eat, shop and socialize and the people behind them "bit by bit" -- but with a twist. At its core, the site is designed to collect stories from the perspectives of both the founders and the customers. Rider explains that, initially, his interest was in "how places got started and the people that started them, especially the obstacles overcome and sacrifices made by the founders." Rider says the site will work on several levels. First is the founder's story, as told by the founder. The next level involves customers' personal stories about the specific venue. Finally, the site will provide dynamic "bits of live information" that will help "visually" identify where lively and interesting events are happening. Although initially focusing on the Eastown Neighborhood, Rider has ambitious plans to grow geographically and add more functions including a  "three letter identifier" that store owners can post in their establishment to facilitate usage of the site. "Groupon's original purpose was to help people experience their town; this site will give Groupon a run for its money," says Rider. To learn more about TownBit.com, you can visit their site here. Business owners interested in getting a page set up can send their contact info to [email protected]. Source: Brian Rider, TownBit.com Writer: John Rumery, Innovation and Jobs Editor

Adam Kader could have helped his father, Nader Kader, open their soul food restaurant in Chicago, Jerusalem or Dubai -- all places where the family has lived and been entrepreneurs -- but they chose Franklin St. SE in Grand Rapids, instead. Nader Kader is co-owner of Miss Tracy's Liquor Store at 1024 Franklin St. SE, a neighborhood staple in a district that has seen businesses come and go. When the Kaders opened Miss Tracy's Kitchen in November in the same building, the family wanted to keep the name and its history, says Adam Kader. Kader, 21, manages the restaurant and cooks, a passion he developed as a young boy, then continued in the Hospitality/Culinary Program at Kent Career Technical Center and at Grand Rapids Community College. "I have been cooking all my life and have been always trying to create something new," Kader says. "When I'm in the kitchen, it's like a high for me. Whether I'm depressed or happy, when I'm in the kitchen, I forget about everything."Kader's menu is extensive and carries many items he created, such as the Kitchen's signature item, Miss Tracy's Burger: two grilled quarter-pound beef patties, Swiss cheese, deep fried onion rings, green onions, lettuce, tomato and Thousand Island dressing. Other menu specialties include barbecued ribs, sub sandwiches, grilled chicken, burritos and a selection of breaded fish, including Lake Perch and catfish. Breakfast selections run the gamut, from a $2.99 meal of two eggs, toast, meat and coffee to pancakes, waffles, mackerel patties and salmon patties. Salads and build-your-own pizza round out the offerings. The Grand Rapids Planning Commission recently approved construction of an outdoor grill area, an opportunity Kader says he's considering. "We can only use it four hours a day, so if we add it, we would use it during the prime hours, like between noon and four," he says. The restaurant is open seven days: Mon., Tues., Weds. 8 a.m. to 12 a.m.; Thurs. 8 a.m. to 1 a.m.; Fri. 8 a.m. to 2 a.m.; Sat. 10 a.m. to 2 a.m.; Sun. 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.Source: Adam Kader, Miss Tracy's KitchenWriter: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News Editor

A decade-long plan to redevelop three forlorn city blocks in south Grand Rapids into affordable housing, retail and an urban grocery store is once again rolling forward with plans to break ground before June 1. The first construction phase of the Wealthy-Jefferson Neighborhood Initiative will spur some $15 million in mixed-use development that will bring retail, 50 apartments and a small condo project to the city block bounded by Wealthy St. (north), LaGrave Avenue (east), Sheldon Avenue (west) and Logan St. (south). Property owner, Inner City Christian Federation (ICCF), a nonprofit affordable-housing developer, cleared the block and most of two adjoining blocks of decrepit buildings some years ago. The organization has committed to constructing two new buildings thus far, both of which will be built along Wealthy St. between Sheldon and LaGrave.The initiative's later phases will add a 28,000-square-foot urban grocery store and more housing to the remaining properties, says Jonathan Bradford, ICCF CEO. Negotiations with an unnamed local grocer are underway, says Bradford, adding that he's "confident that it will go through." "About 1999, a then-city commissioner proposed the clear cutting of six whole blocks to convert them into an industrial zone," Bradford says. "Neighborhood associations, churches and ICCF fought that and stopped it. A committee studied how to recapture the diversity this neighborhood once had. In 1912, the area had 4,744 people and only about 900 people in 2000."Bradford says a key motivator was the "resuscitation" of Wealthy St. between Division and Lafayette in 2008. That project, in essence, laid the groundwork for the rest of what is to come. Bradford envisions an explosion of private retail investment around the Wealthy St. roundabouts.The proposed Bus Rapid Transit system route passes the development along its north and south boundaries, providing riders with opportunities to stop off and pick up groceries or items from the retail shops, then board the next coach for home or work. Bradford says Brownfield Authority Tax Credits are under consideration. The project's funding comes, in part, from $5.2 million awarded through the Neighborhood Stabilization Program 2, which will be taken off the table unless construction begins by June 1. Site plan and design are by nationally renowned development designer Seth Harry of Woodbine, MD. Integrated Architecture is the architect of record for the first two buildings along Wealthy St. Progressive AE is the civil engineer. Source: Jonathan Bradford, CEO, Inner City Christian FederationWriter: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News Editor

Remaining competitive in the 21st century is challenging for any business, in any industry. This is especially true for Grand Rapids-based bookseller, Schuler Books. According to excerpts from MLive: Adapting and diversifying the 29-year-old business is one strategy that’s helping the five-store Grand Rapids-based chain stay healthy at a time when Ann Arbor-based Borders is in bankruptcy and Barnes & Noble has been put up for sale. "It's almost impossible to tell what the bookstore will look like in five years," said Cecile Fehsenfeld, who co-founded Schuler with her husband, Bill. "I would like to think we are building a new model for what the next kind of bookstore might look like." You can read the complete story here:

ThisOldHouse.com touts Grand Rapids' historic Heritage Hill neighborhood as one of the top 12 "old house neighborhoods" in the country for sustaining a sense of place in a storied residential area. According to excerpts from the story:For the fourth year in a row, we've tracked down North America's most timeless neighborhoods—places where lovingly crafted old houses have extraordinary pasts and unarguably promising futures. With help from our friends at Portland, Oregon-based PreservationDirectory.com—who distributed our nomination forms to more than 14,000 historical societies, neighborhood groups, and preservation nonprofits—we've assembled our biggest-ever list of off-the-beaten-path places that are worth eyeing for a great old home.Heritage Hill, Grand Rapids, Michigan: This neighborhood is a mecca for people who love historic American architecture. Not only are the homes storied, the fact that they stand is significant to preservation societies across the U.S. Urban-renewal plans for Grand Rapids during the 1960s had doomed this treasure trove of old houses, but the community fought to protect them. In winning the landmark case, members of the Heritage Hill Association set a precedent: Federal planning agencies are now required to consider their projects' effects on historic properties. Read the complete story here.

There's an old saying, "there is powers in numbers" and that sentiment is the hope of several local artists and business owners as they join forces to create a "one-stop" shopping experience and destination location. The new venture, GR Art Group, is the cooperative effort of several local businesses that are repurposing 1054 Fulton West, the former home of Accents Gallery. According to Patti Wisniewski one of the artists who will be working out of the location, the decision to team up with other business owners was the result of "the difficult times" for small business within that industry.   However, she also indicates that the market is picking up and she believes there will be added synergies and savings by joining up with complimentary businesses. The four businesses, which are calling themselves the Grand Rapids Art Group, includes Grand Rapids Cityscapes, GR Accents Online, Gallery of Frames, a Grand Haven business that is relocating to Grand Rapids and Accents Supplies. To kick off the new venture, a grand opening is scheduled for Saturday, March 19, from 10-9 pm which will also include live music, refreshments, and a silent auction. Source: Patti Wisniewski, Grand Rapids Cityscapes and GR Accents Online Writer: John Rumery, Innovation and Jobs Editor